Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

yesterday, I tried a new recipe for a
‘strawberry-cheese refrigerator pie’. I didn’t bother to
make the crust (I usually do not bother with crusts: what
we really want is the filling and we can skip the calories
of the crust).

This recipe was for a no-bake pie - it was supposed to firm
up in the fridge. It didn’t, even though I made it early in
the morning. By evening, it was still liquid. OK, the
recipe doesn’t work.

But, we put it in the ice cream maker. It didn’t need much
time in the ice-cream maker, really only about ten minutes
to be the consistency of slightly softened ice cream (just
right in other words).

It was *DELICIOUS*! The cream cheese gave it a richer
texture than other frozen yogurts I have made. This was
really, really good. I think that frozen strawberries would
be acceptable in this recipe for wintertime ice cream.

Recipe follows.

Pat

DELICIOUS ACCIDENTAL STRAWBERRY FROZEN YOGURT

2 cups fresh strawberries (more or less)
8 oz soft cream cheese (I use the reduced fat version
of this)
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey

Mix thoroughly. I just tossed it all in the food processor
and processed until thoroughly mixed but not completely
smooth. There was some pleasant texture from the berries
left. Lacking a food processor, you could finely chop and
squash the berries then use an electric mixer (or a spoon or
whisk) to mix it all together.

Taste and see if it’s sweet enough for you. Strawberries
vary in their sweetness, and people vary in their tastes. It
was fine for us with the two tablespoons of honey.

Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator: several hours. Then
put in an ice-cream maker and let it churn until it is the
texture you want. I prefer it to be like slightly-softened
ice-cream and this took about 15 minutes.

Serves two (to be honest about it). Serves four if at
least two of the four are mice. :)

CONTRIBUTED BY: PAT

Cabbage and Potato Casserole

2 Tbs butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 small cabbage, shredded
2 green apples, thin sliced
1-1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1-1/2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups veggie broth
1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

In large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and saute onion til golden brown. In crockpot, make alternate layers of cabbage and apple. Add the onion, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix the broth into the mashed potatoes to make a thin sauce and pour it over the cabbage. Cover and cook on high setting for 3-4 hours.
Serves 6.

Recipe For Washing Clothes

Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook with spelling errors and all.

Washing Clothes

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes! If wind is pert, shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles

1 pile white
1 pile colored
1 pile work brithches and rags

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don’t boil just wrench and starch.
Hangs old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washer and dryer, and give thanks. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer, also your toilet... those two-holers used to get mighty cold!

For you non-southerners_........ __ wrench means rinse.

Granny note:

To bleach white cloth, as in linen and cotton, lay them on the grass or drape on bushes, have material wet and do it on a full moon night.

Scare Deer with Plastic Bags

Judy of Iowa noticed that frightened deer always raised their white
tails as a warning to their friends when she chased them from their garden
feast.

Figuring this might be a clue to keeping the animals out of her garden, she
tried an experiment. Judy fastened a small, white, plastic grocery bag to a
shrub 3 to 4 feet off the ground, about deer-tail height. Because it’s light
plastic, the bag fluttered in the wind.

Sure enough, the deer must have seen the bag as a warning sign from a
frightened comrade — they stayed away for a time. Eventually they figured it out, so
Judy began moving the bag to different locations. To keep the deer guessing,
sometimes she even takes it down and uses other deer-repelling methods. But
when she puts the bag out again, it works — at least for a while.

Winter Pie

1 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup finely ground carrot
1/2 cup w. sugar
1 tbs. carnstarch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup coarsely chopped apple

Combine the dry ingredients, and add to the raisins and carrot.
Add water, bring to boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Then add
apple. Bake this mixture between two crusts about 20 minutes
at 375 F.

[I wish that I could have known her..granny]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CountryLifeandHomesteading/message/145

Greetings all

When I say that this substance is truly magic I am not kidding here
people, Last week I had a nasty head cold sneak up and nail me to
the floor. Whipped up a pot of this and consumed nothing but it for
two days and was completely cured. Major pharmaceutical companies
have all conspired to cover up the existence of

IRENA POSSNEKKI’S CHICKEN SOUP

WARNING: this is not your mother’s chicken soup: May not be suitable
for younger viewers (more on that later)

Note: recipe should be read with thick Russian accent (except for
the bits in parenthesis, which were added later by me) I’ll explain
this later as well.

You will need
2 tablespoons lard
1 whole chicken (5-6 lbs.)
2 good sized onion
1 small bunch celery
12-14 large garlic cloves
1 fairly large hunk of fresh ginger root, about the size of the palm
of your hand
1 dz. Medium sized beets
4 heads of broccoli
6 carrots
2-6 small hot chillies
3 cups cooked rice
1 handful 15-25, dried peppercorns
some salt
1 cup sour cream
very large pot

First kill chicken. For you city peoples not knowing how to kill
chicken, the one you buy in grocery store will be working, not
tasting the same but working. Do Not Be Skinning Chicken. Be cutting
chicken into pieces making sure to cut bones (to get to the marrow)
and be putting aside.

Be cutting onion and celery into small pieces. Be taking two thirds
of ginger, peel it, make into little pieces (dice)
Be peeling garlic, crush once (place the flat of the blade and
simply press down hard)

Heat pot, melt lard. Add onion, celery garlic and ginger (sauté
until onions become more or less translucent)
Be placing chicken pieces on top

Separate broccoli crowns from stems, set crowns aside for later, be
cutting stems into quarters (lengthwise) place with chicken.

Cut up carrots (whatever size pieces you like) place with chicken
Quarter Beets and place with chicken

Cover with water two knuckles (about 1½ inches over the chicken)

Add salt (Ireina had a tendency to be a little heavy handed with the
salt, I use a Thai fish sauce, about two tablespoons)

Bring to boil, reduce heat simmer two hours.

(With a large slotted spoon) Be removing chicken bones from pot,
(the meat should just fall off), also be taking out broccoli stalks
and any pieces of beet skin that are floating

Be making little pieces out of broccoli crowns, add to pot

Do not be peeling remaining ginger make into small pieces add to pot,
(pieces should be about as big around as your little finger and
maybe 1/8 of an inch thick)

(dice) chilies, add to pot (most people don’t know it but the
Russian people are very fond of chilies and use a lot of them, the
closest thing I can find to them is the little green Thai [bird]
chilies)

Cook peppercorns (roast them in a small pan over a high heat, if you
have not done this before just keep an eye on them, you will see
that they puff up and begin to roll around the pan, when most of
them are doing that take them off the heat) crush peppercorns in
mortar, add to pot

Add rice to pot

Now be cooking at low heat for at least another hour

Stir in sour cream

Eat

Last summer my niece and her family came up to visit. Diane and I
were talking in the kitchen, me in my usual station next to the
stove, when her youngest came wandering in. Watched me for a few
moments before piping up with a “Whatcha doin?” Replied I “I’m
making soup.”(not this soup but another) Little nipper watched for a
couple minutes more then with his major four year old comprehension
of the world said, “you silly, that snot soup. Soup comes in cans.”

My Niece, who admits to being “no domestic diva.” Snagged the little
pup swung him up onto her knee and added “No honey, this is how they
did it before they invented cans.” Oh they do know how to
make you feel young, don’t they.

Later that evening the same little pup sat pushing things around his
bowl but not eating, Diane asked “what’s wrong honey, don’t you like
your soup?” Quote he “No, it’s got stuff in it. (someday he’s going
to hear about this, probably at his wedding)

No mention of Ireina Possnekki’s Wonderful Chicken Soup would be
complete without some mention of the Amazing and wonderful woman
herself

Ireina Stephenafra Donesslof was born in St Petersburg on March 1
1915.

The daughter of two devout young communists. She grew up in a
heady time of high ideas and revolutionary thought among people who
believed that they were forming a new world order and to her dying
day she believed that communism could work “If you would just be
taking all of the Commissars out and be shooting them.” She had no
use for politicians whatsoever.

When WWII marched on Mother Russia, she was a young woman in her
early twenties and like most Russian women of her time; she fought
side by side with the men against the advancing Hun.

She fought at Stalingrad during the siege and could tell some truly
blood curdling stories of that horrible winter beside the Don. Not
the least was of the night she made a meal for her comrades. It was
soup. Cooked in a discarded German helmet and containing little more
than a dead crow and some roots they had dug from a roadside bank.

She said that at the time, “it was the best meal we had had in days”

After the war she met and married, a proud young engineering student
named Latislaw Possnekki and they lived for a while near Omsk.

In 1950 Stalin was in the process of putting up a series of early
warning stations, He was in need of Engineers, he wasn’t waiting for
volunteers.

Latislaw Possnekki was charged with anti Soviet
Activities and in September was sentenced to fifteen years at
the “Political Rehabilitation Center” outside of Khyardka. Ireina
went with him even though she had not been charged with anything.

The “Political Rehabilitation Center” turned out to be nothing more
than a bunch of uninsulated tin shacks near a beach in the middle of
a frozen nowhere. They were not there to be rehabilitated, they were
there to build something out of nothing or die in the process.

In March of 1953 when Joeseff Visarionavich Dzugasvilli, otherwise
known as Stalin was called to the accounting before his gods, word
reached Khyardka and the guards went off and got drunk.

Latislaw
Possnekki, his wife and fourteen others stole a small boat and
slipped off into the icy waters of the Bering Sea.

For eight days
and nights they fought storms and ice floes until they landed on
Unimak Island. They had made it to America, they had made it to
freedom, or at least eight of them had. Latislaw Possnekki was not
one of the lucky eight.

Ireina was granted asylum and went to work in the canneries around
King Cove and UnAlaska, she said that they reminded her of the
communes that she had spent time in as a teenager.

In 1957 she became an American citizen.

In 1968 she retired from the canneries and took all the money that
she had saved up and purchased an abandoned fox farm at Idaho Inlet
here on Chichagoff.

Next she acquired a sixteen-foot boat with a
nine horse Johnson outboard, ordered a couple crates of unsexed
chicks and started up a chicken farm.

Everyone thought the old
Russian Lady was nuts.(especially the way eagles love chickens)

Until she started bringing around boatloads of fresh eggs for sale.

(in those days most Alaskans had to do with “canned eggs” something
that many of you young people should be glad you have never
experienced.

The Egg Lady became such a success that the village of
Hoonah actually bulldozed a nine mile spur off one of the logging
roads, out to Ireina’s Farm just so she could drive a truck to town
with her eggs when the weather was to bad to make it in the skiff

(a decision some later regretted when they discovered that Ireina
considered the signs by the side of the road to be the “suggested”
speed limit. She rarely moved at less than eighty and did not seem
to have great familiarity with the brake pedal. Her claim being that
she had learned to drive “at Heros Of October Tractor Factory #5”
and had driven transports during the war)

Ireina lived alone out there, her home a welcome stop for anyone
moving up or down Icy strait who needed somewhere to get out of the
weather.

She loved to cook, She loved to tell stories, and she loved
to flirt with younger men (especially those who were handy with a
hammer and a saw)

She started on her next cycle four years ago and all who knew her
miss her and wish her well.

When I was in Grade school. The Cold War was the newest fad.

Somehow
the whole bit about US and the Russians having been allies not to
many years before had been edited out of our schoolbooks. (A bit of
the same revisionist style of history that would have made even
Stalin proud) We certainly never heard of brave Russian Women
fighting alongside their men. Although I do remember seeing the
pictures in the National Geographic of the Parades in Red Square and
of all the Women in uniform seated in solemn ranks, their chests
covered with medals. I mentioned it to my father once and he brushed
it off by saying something to the effect that “those damn commies
will pin a medal on anyone.”

I know now that that’s not true, as I
also know that a lot of the other things that I learned were not
true. We humans seem to have a wonderful capacity for “cultural
Amnesia” when the facts are not borne up by our perceptions or
desires.

Isn’t it written somewhere that “History is nothing more than the
lies told by the winners.” Oh well, I don’t know how I got off on
that one

It’s a little after three am. And raining here on Chichagoff Island
(not that, that’s news.)

Enjoy the soup

Max

The limits of the world are the ones you perceive.

Soft Doggie Cookies
(Great for older dogs with teeth problems.)

3 (2-1/2 oz. each) jars of baby food; either beef or chicken
1/4 cup Dry Milk powder
1/4 cup Wheat germ or cream fo wheat

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Roll into small balls and place on well-greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 15 minutes until brown. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate to keep fresh or freeze.

No-Flea Dog Biscuits

*
2 cups unbleached flour
*
1/2 cup wheat germ
*
1/2 cup brewers yeast
*
2 ea. cloves garlic, minced
*
3 tbs. vegetable oil
*
1 cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 400F. and oil two or three baking sheets. Combine first four ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine garlic and oil. Slowly stir flour mixture and stock alternately into oil and garlic, beating well, until the dough is well-mixed. Shape dough into a ball. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough 12” thick. Using a 2” biscuit cutter or knife, cut dough into rounds. Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheets. Bake 20-25 minutes or until well-browned. Turn off heat and allow biscuits to dry in oven for several hours. Store in refrigerator or freeze. Makes about 26 biscuits.

Green Tomato Jam (Raspberry)

5 cups chopped green tomatoes
4 cups white sugar

Cook the above 10 to 15 minutes, keep stirred.

Add 2 3 oz pkg raspberry jello

Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, keep stirred.

Bottle in sterilized jars while hot. No need to put in canner as they seal fine without that step.

Granny note:

Mary made hers with figs and strawberry jello, it is good.

Homestead Cookies

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey, or brown sugar if you haven’t the
others, each makes a different cookie
1 1/3 cups water (or milk or juice)
2 1/2 cups whole grain flour
3 cups rolled oats

Options:
1 - 2 cups dried fruit
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or nuts
1 or 2 eggs
Peanut butter
Spices such as cinnamon, or vanilla
Fruit sauce or cooked squash (in place of the water)

Mix all the ingredients together except the rolled oats,
adding flour until you have a thick pudding
Let set for a half hour or so for the whole grain flour to
soften and, if wheat, develop the gluten
Mix in the rolled oats
Push teaspoonfuls onto an oiled or floured cookie sheet
Flatten with a wet fork
Bake in a medium oven until just done. Don’t overcook as these
cookies can become quite hard after cooling, depending on the
ingredients used. But they are great traveling food; no worry about
these guys breaking apart into crumbs.

For another cookie which comes out firm but chewy

Applesauce Cookies

1 quart apple or other fruit sauce or cooked squash
1/2 cup oil (it can also be made without if you haven’t any)
2/3 cup honey or maple syrup (or brown sugar )
3 cups whole grain flour (at least half should be wheat)

Mix together all ingredients
Let set a bit to soften and bind the flour
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an oiled cookie sheet (this is not as tough
a dough as the previous cookie)
Flatten thin with a wet fork
Bake in a medium oven until just lightly browned around the edges
Cool flat on a rack

These cookies contain NO flour. I haven’t tried this one, but the
author swears it is correct.... There really is NO flour and are
great for folks who can’t have flour.

Incredible Cookies

1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 LARGE egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

In medium bowl of electric mixer combine peanut butter, sugar, egg
and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.

Roll dough into small balls
about the size of a small walnut and place about two inches apart on
a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Flatten balls with the tines of a
fork.

Bake at 325 F. for about 13 minutes; cool on wire rack.

Makes
about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Insect Repellants Tip

One of the best natural insect repellants
is made from the clear real vanilla (not the grocery store
vanilla extract which is mostly alcohol). This is the pure
vanilla that is sold in Mexico. It’s cheap there if you know
of someone that lives there or in the US close to the border.

If not, health food stores usually carry it or can order it
for you. I use it half vanilla and half water and find
that it works great for mosquitoes and ticks,
don’t know about other insects

Another good one is Vicks Vapor Rub. I use this when hiking or working out in the yard and it works.

The Survival Foods And Gardening Section

The text and photographs of this article are from Organic Gardening and Farming November, 1973

Philip Mahan demonstrates how a fish is transferred from the fry tank to the barrel.

RAISING CATFISH IN A BARREL

A biological food chain in the back yard produces fresh fish
for the table and compost for the garden.

By Philip and Joyce Mahan

After some study and experimentation, we have set up a productive food chain— table scraps to earthworms to catfish—in our back yard. The project is satisfactory in many respects, utilizing waste materials to produce fresh fish for food and at the same time yielding ample compost for a small garden. The material cost is minimal. The whole operation can be set up for less that $15.00. The equipment occupies only about 12 square feet of space, and the entire assembly can be easily moved if necessary.

The materials can be very simple: Two 55-gallon steel drums, three panes of glass 24 inches square, and a medium-sized aquarium air pump. One of the drums will serve as a tank for the fish, oxygen being supplied by the air pump; and the second drum should be cut in half to provide two bins for the worms. The panes of glass are used as covers for the worm bins and fish tank, and for ease and safety in handling can be framed with scrap lumber.

We chose catfish because they are readily available in our part of Alabama, and reach eating size in a summer. Various small members of the sunfish family, such as bluegill or bream, would also be suitable.

While we readily admit that our plan has no commercial possibilities, we know that we can produce, for our own table, tasty fresh fish that is uncontaminated and costs practically nothing, both considerations being highly relevant at this time.

Fish are usually efficient food producers; a one-pound fish yields approximately 10 ounces of food. Further efficiency is indicated by the fact that fish fed on commercial fish ration convert about 85 percent of their food to meat. While we are not prepared to compute the technical data about food conversion in fish on an earthworm diet, we can readily state that the fish relish earthworms, and do grow well on this food.

Spraying the water back into the tank aerates the water and at the same tie releases the ammonia produced by excretory matter in the water. Because the oxygen requirements of fish are quite high, the faster the circulation of the water, the faster the growth of the fish.

We decided to keep our equipment as simple and inexpensive as possible at the beginning, but to use the maximum stocking density advised, keeping 40 fish in a 55-gallon drum. Although inexpensive circulation pumps are available, we chose to use a METAFRAME HUSH II aquarium bubbler for oxygenation and a garden hose to siphon off water from the bottom of the barrel.

We take off 15 gallons of water per day, but as we run the waste water onto the worm beds and adjacent garden, the cost is negligible. Although we have creek water close at hand, we were advised to use city water to avoid the introduction of undesirable algae and fungi that might be harmful to the fish. Because city water is usually quite highly chlorinated, it is necessary to draw the water in 5-gallon buckets and let it stand for a day in the sun before emptying it into the drum to replace the water siphoned off. We have seen no evidence of oxygen starvation in the fish with this method of water circulation.

The most important variable we have found is water temperature. Catfish will feed at temperatures as low as 40 or 45 degrees, but their greatest growth is achieved at 84 degrees. We noticed a decided increase in feeding activity when we painted the barrel black and moved it into full sun. Leaving the buckets of water in the sun not only speeds chlorine dissipation, but warms the water as well. In areas where city water temperatures are close to the growth optimum, the chlorine can be removed by setting the hose nozzle at fine spray, and the barrel can then be filled directly from the water supply. Although summer growth is greatest, the project continues throughout the year. By judicious use of sun when possible, plus auxiliary heat when necessary, winter growth can be kept at a fairly high level.

When water temperatures are right, the fish will feed so enthusiastically that they may leap completely out of the barrel. For this reason the top of the barrel should be covered completely with a pane of glass which will also help in keeping the water warm. Because fish feed most eagerly in late evening and early morning, we feed them at these times of the day. As with earthworms, care must be taken not to overfeed. In warm water and bright sunlight, any uneaten worms will die and decompose rapidly, giving off gases which are poisonous to the fish.

Transferring any grown animal to a confining environment produces the equivalent of cultural shock, and is followed by a period when feeding is light and growth is slow. At this time special care must be taken not to overfeed. Unless fish can be found that have been hatched and grown in a tank, small fish should be selected to stock the barrel, as their adaptation time is proportionally shorter that that of larger fish. To eliminate as much transplanting shock as possible, we use a large wooden box, lined with two layers of polyethylene sheeting and covered with an old door, to stock with fry. By the time the fry reach fingerling size, they can be transferred to the barrel as replacements are needed, and very little shock is evident. An insect lamp over an opening in the cover of the fry tank permits the small fish to eat at night while ridding the garden of night-flying pests.

Earthworms, as any angler knows, are food for fish in their natural habitat; and most fish in captivity prefer live food to the dehydrated type. Kitchen scraps make excellent food for earthworms, and even the most careful organizer will have enough refuse to feed, quite handsomely, 5,000 to 10,000 worms.

We found that growing earthworms at home is not difficult. The basic materials are easily arranged, and the earthworms’ demands are simple. All they require are a protective container, reasonable temperature control, adequate moisture, not too much food, and a light loose bedding which is never allowed to become acid.

The 55-gallon drum to the right is for raising fingerlings to eating size. The lid of the fry tank (left) houses an insect lamp which provides food for the young fish.

The steel half drums are ideal worm bins as they are effective protection against the earthworms’ predators in addition to being quite inexpensive. They have the added advantage of being movable so that as cold weather approaches, the worms can be carried to an enclosed porch or basement to continue composting activity and fish food production throughout the winter.

Each half-drum will house between 4,000 and 6,000 worms. The two half-drums are utilized most effectively if they are alternated so that the worm population is allowed to build up in one, while the second supplies the fish food. The eggs that remain after the worms are removed will serve to start a new supply when the first drum is converted to feeding.

Worms will start breeding when they are about 90 days old. Each worm, possessing reproductive organs of both sexes, will produce an egg capsule per week, containing from three to 25 eggs apiece. The most economical way to establish worm bins for a home food-chain and composting operation is to begin with capsules. Although a little more time is required initially, there will ultimately be more worms available to work with. Under the protected conditions of a worm bin, the survival rate of young worms is very high.

The type of worm selected is not important. There are two compost-bait types raised commercially — usually known as “brown-nosed worms” and “red wrigglers.” Either type may be purchased from most dealers.

The bedding for the worm bins may be any organic material that is water-absorbent and does not pack so as to exclude oxygen and impede the worms’ movement. Leaves and old straw are good, as is aged sawdust soaked in several waters for a week or so. Ground peat moss, being odorless, is ideal if the worms are to be kept inside. Soil should never be used as it contains no nutriment and is likely to pack.

It is safe to assume that earthworms can eat any kitchen scraps except citrus rings, vinegar dressings, and bones. Though they eat almost anything given them, their intake of food, and likewise the production of compost, can be increased by frequently feeding foods that are especially tasty to them. The prime consideration is to avoid overfeeding. Although worms thrive on decaying food, they should never be given more than they can consume in 24 hours.

The dangers of acidity cannot be overemphasized. It is the only real hazard in worm raising. Acid bedding frequently destroys an entire worm farm in a few weeks. To maintain accurate control over the acidity, one should use a soil test kit or a pH test strip of the type used by industrial and medical laboratories. Tests should be made at least once a week, and the pH factor (degree of acidity) should remain between 5.5 and 6.5 on the scale. A reading of 5.0 or below means danger, and immediate steps must be taken to neutralize the bedding with an application of pure ground agricultural limestone. It is important to read the label carefully to verify that the limestone does not contain any added phosphates which also bring disaster to a worm bed.

The drums should be located in an area protected from temperature extremes. Optimum temperatures for feeding and growth are between 60 and 70 degrees, but worms will thrive in most summer climates if the beds are well shaded and the bedding is kept loose. During the summer months, the bedding must be sprinkled daily, but it should never grow soggy. The glass tops on the half drums serve to conserve moisture, but they will not prevent crawling. Worms have a tendency to roam at night during damp or rainy weather unless preventive measures are taken. A small light over the bed is an effective deterrent to their wanderings, while an equally effective measure is to cut a remnant of carpet to fit the drum exactly and lay this on top of the bedding.

The table scrap-earthworm-catfish food chain, even from its inception, was never intended to evolve into a money-making project. It was simply an effort toward a better way of life through cooperation with the forces of nature; and in this respect, our project has been a complete success in more than one way.

First of all, we have a regular supply of fresh fish at minimal cost. A seven-ounce catfish fingerling grows to 25 ounces in a summer, thus producing a pound of food in four months. In the second place, we have netted ample compost for our vegetable garden, thereby further insuring a low-cost and nutritive food supply. In addition, and perhaps this is the greatest benefit of all, we have the satisfaction of working with growing things and the gratification of knowing that we have not wasted the earth’s resources. We have made an elementary biologic principle work in our own back yard.

IF YOU’RE THINKING OF RAISING CATFISH

EDITORIAL NOTE: Because we believe many of our readers will want to raise catfish on their homesteads, we referred this article to Dr. William O. McLarney, of the New Alchemy Institute, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, for review. The questions he raised were then referred to authors Philip and Joyce Mahan, whose replies appear below.

The fist were channel catfish.

Our fish were not fed exclusively on earthworms in that we started them on commercial catfish food. Because it is very difficult to teach pond-grown fish to eat in confinement, we offered them exactly the same food they had been eating in the pond. We continued these rations for about four weeks before their response was sufficiently enthusiastic to risk changing food. Then the earthworms were introduced gradually — a few at a time — until the fish accepted them. Some of the fish recognized the worms as food immediately, and within a week the water literally boiled when the worms were thrown in. We wondered, then, if they might not have started eating more readily if we had used the worms initially.

Weight of fish: We don’t have any figures at all on the weight of the fish we started with, and we didn’t weigh any before we ate them. As we stated in the article, we began with 40 fish — fingerling size. Although we arrived at this number on the basis of Auburn’s ratio of water as estimated by the fish farmer from whom we got the fingerlings. He didn’t weigh the fish and we don’t remember what that estimated weight was. We didn’t know this thing was going to work.

Earthworms: Again we have no figures on pounds of worms used. For reasons of ethics (we advertise in OGF), we didn’t mention in the article that we are in the worm business. Since we have so many worms around, it just didn’t occur to us to keep records of how many we used. We simply tossed the worms into the barrel until the fish stopped eating. We fed once a day, but we don’t think that all of the fish ate at every feeding. I would estimate an average of 75-100 worms per day. The worms were small, not weighing more than an ounce per hundred. We were careful not to feed breeders to the fish.

Table scraps: We have been feeding table scraps to earthworms for a number of years; and to date, we have not weighed a single scrap. We can, however, offer fairly precise figures on this step. Earthworms are reputed to produce their own weight in compost daily; but our experience has not indicated that they really do. A thousand worms weigh 13 or 14 ounces, but daily feeding per thousand does not approach that weight. We usually keep a container of around 2,000 composting worms in the kitchen, and I give them a couple of table spoons of selected (that is to say, soft and mushy) scraps each day. In liquid measure this amount would be only two ounces.

It never occurred to us that a nutritional deficiency might develop in fish fed only on earthworms. I doubt that either of us would have recognized malnutrition if it had occurred. As we don’t have backgrounds in biochemistry, we are not in a position to make any statements concerning the nutritive value, qualitative or quantitative, of earthworms. We did definitely notice a considerable increase in feeding activity when we started giving worms. In fact, we ate our first fish — seven of them — when they were only ten inches long because they jumped out of the barrel, and we didn’t want to put them back for fear they had been injured. We feed our tropical fish (Red Oscars) earthworms also, but we can’t continue the diet for more than two months at a time because the fish get so lively and eager for food that they leap out of the aquarium whenever we lift the cover for feeding. I would say we are inclined to agree that earthworms are a near-perfect fish food.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CountryLifeandHomesteading/message/449

Hardship Recipes

Mouse Pie

5 fat field mice

1 cup macaroni

1/2 thinly sliced medium onion

1 medium can tomatoes

1 cup cracker crumbs

salt and pepper

Boil macaroni 10 minutes. While it is cooking, fry the field mice long enough to fry out some of the excess fat. Grease a casserole with some of this fat and put a layer of macaroni on it. Add onions, then tomatoes, salt and pepper well. Add field mice and cover with remaining macaroni. Sprinkle the top with cracker crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees about 20 minutes or until mice are well done. (Don’t have any field mice? You could use 10 little sausages)

Recipes - 1

Cold Herb Soup

A low-fat, sugar-free way to serve up a cool meal this summer.

Ingredients:
butter-flavored cooking spray
3/4 pound (360 g) sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 g) all-purpose flour
1 16-ounce (454 g) canned low-fat, low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup (180 ml) water
1 cup (40 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 2/3-ounce (20 g) container frozen chopped chives, or 1/2 cup (20 g) snipped fresh
4 tablespoons (60 ml) minced fresh tarragon leaves
6 springs fresh thyme
1/3 cup (75 g) fat-free sour cream
fresh lemon slices and fresh herbs for garish

Directions:
Lightly coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until onion is soft, stirring occasionally. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and water. Bring to a simmer and stir until slightly thickened. Add the herbs and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Working in batches, transfer mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth, adding the sour cream to the last batch. In a large bowl, combine batches and refrigerate, covered, until cold. Serve in small soup bowls with lemon slices and herbs for garnish.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Info: Per Serving: 99 calories (5% calories from fat), 6 g protein, 1 g total fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 18 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 mg cholesterol, 257 mg sodium
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (1/2 bread/starch, 2 vegetable)

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

These spring rolls are a refreshing change from the usual fried variety, and have become a family favorite. They are great as a cool summertime appetizer, and are delicious dipped in one or both of the sauces.
Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:
2 ounces rice vermicelli
8 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)
8 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and cut in half
1 1/3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 leaves lettuce, chopped
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped peanuts

Directions:
Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat. In a row across the center, place 2 shrimp halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro and lettuce, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end wit hthelettuce.Repeat with remaining ingredients. In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce. In another small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts. Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce and hoisin sauce mixtures.
Note: The fish sauce, rice vermicelli, chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce and rice wrappers can be found at Asian food markets.

Chicken Salad in the Tropics

This is a beautifully prepared fresh fruit salad with chicken.
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 pound boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped
1 cup diced fresh mango
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cashews

Directions:
To prepare the dressing, whisk together in a small bowl the orange juice, pineapple juice, parsley, lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, honey and pepper. Prepare the salad in a large bowl by tossing the mixed greens with the dressing. Divide dressed greens on four different plates. Arrange chicken in the middle of the plate. Arrange papaya (or mango), pineapple, avocado, bell, pepper, avocado, black beans, and cheese in “triangles” surrounding chicken.

Cucumber Sandwich

This sandwich is stuffed with cucumbers, sprouts, tomatoes, and avocadoes. It is a veggie lover’s dream!
Yield: 1 Serving

Ingredients:
2 thick slices whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
6 slices cucumber
2 tablespoons alfalfa sprouts
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tomato, sliced
1 leaf lettuce
1 ounce pepperoncini, sliced
1/2 avocado, mashed

Directions:
Spread each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon cream cheese. On one slice of bread, arrange cucumber slices in a single layer. Cover with sprouts, then sprinkle with oil and vinegar. Layer tomato slices, lettuce, and pepperoncini. Spread other slice of bread with mashed avocado. Close sandwich and serve immediately.

Key Lime Pie
Fresh lime juice, oodles of grated lime rind, vanilla pudding, and whipped topping make the difference in this version of key lime pie made with sweetened condensed milk. After two hours in the fridge, it ‘s ready to wow your guests. Decorate with thinly cut slices of lime and whipped topping.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 9 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
Yield: 1 - 10 inch pie

Ingredients:
1 (10 inch) pie crust, baked and cooled
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together lime rind, lime juice, and condensed milk. Whisk in pudding mix and allow to set up 5 minutes. Fold in 8 ounce tub of whipped topping. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.

Fresh Peach Cake

This cake is so light and fluffy, you won’t even believe it’s sugar free!

Ingredients:
butter flavored cooking spray
1 cup (140 g) sifted cake flour
3/4 cup (143 g) no sugar sugar replacement such as Splenda or One Spoon
1/2 tablespoon (7.5g) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
3 tablespoons (45 ml) canola oil
large egg, separated
1/4 cup (30 ml) egg substitute
1/4 cup (30 ml) water
3/4 teaspoon (3.75 ml) pure vanilla extract
grated zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup (120 ml) egg whites, at room temperature (whites of 4 large eggs or use refrigerated egg whites)
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups (216 g) no sugar, fat free whipped topping
1 pound (480 g) fresh peaches, peeled and sliced thin, then covered with water and 1 tablespoons (15 ml) lemon juice until ready to use

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F (160° C). Lightly coat a 9-inch (22.5 cm) cake pan with cooking spray. Place the flour, sugar substitute, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix. Make a well in the middle. Beat together oil, egg yolk, egg substitute, water, vanilla, and orange zest. Pour into flour mixture and blend well. In a large bowl, combine the 1 egg white with the additional 1/2 cup (120 ml). Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until the whites have stiff peaks. Gently fold into the flour mixture. Place in the prepared cake pan and bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Turn out onto rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, slice the cake in half horizontally. Cover with 3/4 of the whipped topping. Place the peaches, leaving a few slices for decoration, on top and cover with top of cake. Decorate the center of the cake with rosettes of whipped topping and decorate with remaining peach slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield: 10 servings
Nutritional Info: Per Serving: 129 calories (28% calories from fat), 4 g protein, 5 g total fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 23 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 21 mg cholesterol, 176 mg sodium
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch, 1/2 fruit), 1 fat

Easy Morning Glory Muffins

These easy and tasty muffins are a glorious way to start any day. They combine the great taste and chewy texture of carrots with the wonderful flavors of apple, raisins, coconut, walnuts, and cinnamon.

Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Absolut Lemonade

Ingredients:
3/4 oz. Amaretto
3/4 oz. Absolut Citron Vodka
2 oz. Sour Mix
1 splash Sprite

Glass to Use: Beer Mug

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a pint glass filled with ice.

Quick BLT Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 mintues
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (7.5 oz.) ranch and bacon pasta salad mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
3 cups finely shredded lettuce
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Empty pasta mix into large pan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Drain pasta. Rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well. Stir together seasoning mix from salad mix and mayonnaise in large bowl. Stir in pasta, lettuce and tomato until well blended. Serve immediately.
Betty’s Tip 4 You: Get the great taste of the classic sandwich favorite in this quick and flavorful pasta saladc. Add bacon flavored bits or chips for even more bacon taste.
Nutritional Info: Per Serving: Calories: 325; Cal. from fat: 155; Sat. Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 11mg; Sodium: 490mg; Carbs: 33g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugars: 5g; Protien: 8g
Diet Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 high-fat meat, 1 vegetable, 2 fat
Carbohydrate Choice: 2

Cheese and Onion Quiche
The Way to Cook by Julia Child, Alfred A. Knopf

Quiche is an easy dish for luncheons, suppers, or appetizers. Its savory filling of cheese and onions, or spinach, or lobster or etc., is held together by a custard—liquid and eggs which slowly coagulate in the oven. All-purpose custard. Whatever the filling, the custard mixture remains the same, and as you can’t be exact about total amounts since pie shells vary in depth, you can at least calculate the custard by egg: Whisk 1 “large” egg in a measuring cup. Blend in liquid (usually milk) to reach the 1/2 cup mark. For example, whisk 3 eggs into 4 cups measure and stir in enough milk to reach the 1 1/2 cup mark. Whisk in a little salt to taste, freshly ground white pepper plus perhaps a speck of nutmeg, or drops of hot-pepper sauce. This is usually the amount you’ll need for an 8- to 9-inch shell.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups sliced onions cooked to very tender in 2 tbsps. olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little sage
1 prebaked 9-inch pie shell in its ring or tin
1/4 cup lightly pressed down, coarsely grated Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups of the preceding all-purpose custard

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the rack in the upper-third level. Spread half the cheese in the bottom of the pie shell, spread on the onions, and top with the remaining cheese. Beat up the custard briefly and pour it over the onions, filling the shell to within 1/8 inch of its rim if it’s straight-sided, not much more than halfway if the shell is slant-sided and the sides seem at all fragile. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until filling is lightly puffed and nicely browned. For serving, slip the warm quiche out of its ring or pan and onto a serving board or platter, or serve from the pan cut into wedges.
Variations:
Spinach Quiche: Stem, wash, blanch, squeeze dry, then chop 10-oz. pkg. of fine fresh spinach. Saute’ 2 tbsps. of shallots or scallions briefly in 2 tbsps. butter, add spinach, and stir over moderate heat for several minutes until very tender. Season carefully with salt, pepper, and a speck of nutmeg. Proceed to build and bake the quiche as described.
Shrimp Quiche: Saute’ 1 c. of small cooked and shelled shrimp in 2 tbsps. butter for 1 minutes. Pour in 1/4 c. dry white vermouth and boil down rapidly for 30 seconds or so. Season with salt and pepper; proceed to build and bake the quiche as described.

DELUXE CHICKEN OR TURKEY SALAD
The Way to Cook by Julia Child, Alfred A. Knopf

“I marinate all of these in much the same way, in that I first marinate the elements briefly with the seasoning elements to blend flavors, then toss them with only enough mayonnaise to bind them together. This way you are getting splendid flavor and are not overdoing on the sauce. In fact, rather than mixing it in you may well pass the mayonnaise separately, and calorie watchers may slather it on at their own discretion.”

Ingredients:
6 cups cooked skinless and boneless chicken or turkey that has been cut into good-size bites, such as rectangles about 1 by 1 1/2 inches and 1/4 inch thick.
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 to 2 Tbs excellent light olive oil
2 to 3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp finely cut tarragon leaves, or 1/4 tsp fragrant dried tarragon
1 cup diced tender celery stalks
1/2 cup minced scallions or mild onion
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
3/4 cup or more of mayonnaise, preferably homemade
1 medium head of romaine, washed and dried
Decorative suggestions: 2 hard-boiled eggs, a large handful of fresh parsley, several strips of red pimento

Directions:
Preliminary seasoning. Toss the chicken or turkey in a big mixing bowl with the salt, pepper, and enough oil to enrobe the meat very lightly. Then toss with the lemon juice, and finally with the herbs, celery, onions, and optional walnuts. Taste analytically, correct seasoning. Let steep 10 minutes, tossing several times.
* Ahead-of-time note: May be completed a day in advance to this point; cover and refrigerate.
Final seasoning. Drain any accumulated liquid out of the salad, correct seasoning again, and fold in just enough mayonnaise to enrobe the ingredients.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Chicken Broiled with Mustard, Herbs, and Bread Crumbs

Poulets Grilles A La Diable
Here is a fine method for broiled chicken which is good either hot or cold. The chicken is partially cooked under the broiler, then smeared with mustard and herbs, rolled in fresh bread crumbs, and returned to the broiler to brown and finish cooking. A practical attribute is that it can be almost entirely cooked ahead of time, set aside or refrigerated, and then finished off in the oven. With the mustard dip, a sauce is not a necessity. But if you want one, serve melted butter mixed with lemon juice and minced herbs, or sauce diable (herbal brown sauce with shallots and wine), Baked, whole tomatoes and green beans would go well with it, and a chilled rose wine.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 mintue
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
Two ready-to-cook, 2 1/2 pound broilers, halved or quartered
Basting fat: 6 tablespoons of melted butter blended with 2 tablespoons oil
Salt
6 tablespoons prepared mustard of the strong Dijon type
3 tablespoons finely minced shallots or green onions
1/2 tsp thyme, basil, or tarragon
1/8 tsp pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
4 cups fresh, white crumbs from homemade-type of bread (make the crumbs in an electric blender, 3 or 4 slices of bread at a time)
Special Equipment Needed:
saucepan (to make the basting fat)
pastry brush
broiling pan minus rack
broiling pan with rack

Directions:
Preheat oven broiler to moderately hot. Dry the chicken thoroughly, paint it with the butter and oil and arrange it skin side down in the bottom of the broiling pan. Place it so that the surface of the chicken is 5 to 6 inches from the hot broiling element and broil 10 minutes on each side, basting every 5 minutes. The chicken should be very lightly browned. Salt it lightly. Blend the mustard with the shallots or onions, herbs, and seasonings in a bowl. Drop by drop, beat in half the basting fat to make a mayonnaise-like cream. Reserve the rest of the basting fat for later. Paint the chicken pieces with the mustard mixture. Pour the crumbs into a big plate, then roll the chicken in the crumbs, patting them on so they will adhere. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side down on the rack in the broiling pan and dribble half the remaining basting fat over them. Brown slowly for 10 minutes under a moderately hot broiler. Turn, baste with the last if the fat, and brown 10 minutes more on the other side. The chicken is done when the thickest part of the drumstick is tender, and, when the meat pricked with a fork, the juices run clear yellow. Transfer to a hot platter and serve.
Ahead-of-Time Notes: If you wish to do most of the cooking in advance, brown the crumbed chicken under the broiler for 5 minutes only on each side. It then may be finished off several hours later, placed in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not allow it to overcook. Nutrient analysis is based on 8 servings per recipe.
Tips: Defrosting Frozen Chicken: The best method for defrosting frozen chicken, according to those in the business, is the slowest: leave it in its transparent wrapper and let it thaw in the refrigerator. It will lose much less of its juice and flavor. The best alternative is to unwrap it and thaw it in a basin of cold, running water, removing the package of giblets from the cavity as soon as it can be pried loose, and pulling the legs and wings away from the body as soon as they will move.
Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

CHILLED LEEK AND POTATO SOUP: VICHYSSOISE

“Here is the mother of the family in all her simplicity. You’ll note there’s no chicken stock here, just water, leeks, potatoes, and salt in the soup base. However, you may include chicken stock if you wish, and you may certainly include milk. A bit of cream at the end is a nourishing touch, but by no means necessary.” — Julia Child from The Way to Cook , Alfred A. Knopf.

Ingredients:
4 cups sliced leeks, white part only
4 cups diced potatoes, old or baking potatoes recommended
6 to 7 cups water
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/2 cup or more sour cream, heavy cream, or crème fraîche, optional
1 Tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, minced

Directions:
Simmering the soup. Bring the leeks, potatoes and water to the boil in the saucepan. Salt lightly, cover partially, and simmer 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Purée the soup if you wish. Taste, and correct seasoning. After chilling the soup, you may wish to stir in a little more cream. Taste carefully again, and correct the seasoning. Top each serving with a sprinkle of chives or parsley.
Yield: 2 1/2 quarts (6 to 8 servings)

FRESH LEMON SHERBET

“It’s lemon sherbet in party dress when you serve it in balloon-shaped goblets, top it with a julienne of home-candied lemon peel, and pour around it a shallow pool of aquavit. I first had this splendid combination in Venice.”
— Julia Child, The Way to Cook, Alfred A. Knopf.

Ingredients:
4 to 6 large lemons-enough to make 1/2 scant cup of zests (yellow part of peel only) and 1 cup of juice
2 1/2 cups of sugar
4 cups of water
2 egg whites lightly beaten into a foam with 1/8 tsp of salt
1 cup or so iced aquavit (2 hours in the freezer)
Candied lemon peel, optional (see special note)

Directions:
Remove the zest from the lemons with the vegetable peeler.To extract their flavor, pulverize them 2 minutes with 1 cup of the sugar in the electric blender; add 1 1/2 cups of the water and pulverize 2 minutes more. Pour into the saucepan, add the rest of the sugar, bring to the simmer, swirl the pan by its handle for several seconds, until you are sure the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour in the cup of lemon juice and the rest of the water; stir for several minutes over the ice cubes and water until well chilled. Whisk in the egg whites, and freeze according to your machine directions. The moment of serving, scoop a ball or two or sherbet into each chilled goblet, pour around it a big spoonful of aquavit, and if you wish, fork out a half dozen strands of the candied peel for decoration.
Yield: 2 quarts (10 to 12 servings)
Special Note: Candied citrus peel is a charming edible decoration for sherbets, puddings, and many fruit desserts. Once made, refrigerate in a covered jar where it will keep for weeks.

Ingredients:
The zests (colored part of peel only) of 4 large fine lemons, 3 oranges or 2 grapefruit
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup of water

Directions:
Remove the zests with the vegetable peeler and cut them into neat julienne strips 1 1/2 inches long and less than 1/8 inch wide.Simmer in 1 quart of water 6 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, set aside. Bring the sugar and water to the simmer in the saucepan, and when the sugar has dissolved completely, cover the pan tightly and boil for a moment or two, until the last drops of syrup to fall from the end of a metal spoon form a thread. Remove from heat, stir in the peel, let steep for an hour, and it is ready to use.

Strawberry Or Raspberry Sauce Or Coulis
IN JULIA’S KITCHEN WITH MASTER CHEFS by Julia Child

The sauce of many uses — to accompany ice creams, puddings, custards, and souffles, to mention a few. Fresh berries are the most desirable, of course, but the packaged frozen ones do nicely out of season.

Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries or raspberries, or two 10-ounce packages of frozen berries, partially defrosted
Sugar (”instant” quick-dissolving recommended) to taste — about 1 cup for fresh berries, 1 tablespoon or so for frozen berries
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Puree the berries, half the sugar called for, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice in the machine, continuing until the sugar is completely dissolved — 2 to 3 minutes. Taste carefully to be sure there are no tiny undissolved granules. Puree in more sugar by the spoonful if needed and more lemon juice by droplets. Sieve, if necessary, to remove seeds and seed residue.
Yield: about 2 cups
Ahead-of-Time Note: Refrigerate in a covered bowl; the sauce will keep for a day or two.

Queen of Sheba Cake (Reine De Saba)

This extremely good chocolate cake is baked so that its center remains slightly underdone; overcooked, the cake loses its special creamy quality. It is covered with a chocolate-butter icing, and decorated with almonds. Because of its creamy center it needs no filling. It can be made in the same manner as other cakes, starting out with a beating of egg yolks and sugar, then proceeding with the rest of the ingredients. But because the chocolate and the almonds make a batter so stiff it is difficult to fold in the egg whites, we have chosen another method, that of creaming together the butter and sugar, and then incorporating the remaining items.

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
4 ounces or squares semi-sweet chocolate melted with 2 tablespoons rum or coffee
1/4 pound or 1 stick softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup pulverized almonds, see note
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup cake flour, sifted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour the cake pan. Set the chocolate and rum or coffee in a small pan, cover, and place (off heat) in a larger pan of almost simmering water; let melt while you proceed with the recipe. Measure out the rest of the ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar. together for several minutes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture. Beat in the egg yolks until well blended. Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in the almonds, and almond extract. Immediately stir in one fourth of the beaten egg whites to lighten the batter. Delicately fold in a third of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one third of the flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly with more egg whites and more flour until all egg whites and flour are incorporated. Turn the batter into the cake pan, pushing the batter up to its rim with a rubber spatula. Bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Cake is done when it has puffed, and 2 1/2 to 3 inches around the circumference are set so that a needle plunged into that area comes out clean; the center should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and a needle comes out oily. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and reverse cake on the rack. Allow it to cool for an hour or two; it must be thoroughly cold if it is to be iced. Use Chocolate Butter Icing (Recipe follows) and press in a design of almonds over the icing.
Tip: To Pulverize Almonds - These are most easily done in the blender or processor, and should always be ground 1/2 cup at a time for the blender (1 cup for the processor) with several tablespoons of sugar to prevent them from becoming oily and lumpy, which would make them impossible to combine with other dry ingredients.
Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

Chocolate-Butter Icing (Glacage au Chocolat)

This simple chocolate icing is butter beaten into melted chocolate, and forms a tender coating over a white or chocolate cake, or over a thoroughly chilled butter-cream icing.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 ounces (2 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 tablespoons rum or coffee
5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
Place the chocolate and rum or coffee in the small pan, cover, and set in the larger pan of almost simmering water. Remove pans from heat and let chocolate melt for 5 minutes or so, until perfectly smooth. Lift chocolate pan out of the hot water, and beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Then beat over the ice and water until chocolate mixture has cooled to spreading consistency. At once spread it over your cake with spatula or knife.
Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

Tomato Mackerel Salad

A delish mackerel salad in a yummy fresh tomato and basil sauce.
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
1/2 (15 ounce) can mackerel fillets, drained
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 head soft lettuce (Boston, Bibb or mixed baby greens)

Directions:
Place mackerel in a mixing bowl, and break into small chunks. Mix in garlic, tomato paste, and oil. Season with basil and salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Serve mixture on a bed of lettuce leaves.

Sun-dried Tomato, Feta and Pine Nut Salad

A delicious salad fancy enough to entertain with and easy enough to
make for yourself for lunch. Try adding grilled chicken strips to make a
meal out of it! Serve with balsamic vinaigrette.
Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:
1 loaf Italian bread, cubed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 (16 ounce) packages mixed salad greens
4 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Toss 3 cups cubed Italian bread with olive oil. Season with seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread out in a single layer in a well oiled 9x13 inch baking dish. Broil until toasted, turning to brown evenly. Set croutons aside to cool. Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet, place on bottom rack of the oven, and toast under broiler. This should only take a few minutes, so watch carefully to prevent burning. Set aside to cool. Soak sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and slice. In a large salad bowl, toss mixed greens with green onions. Top with
croutons, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and feta.

Macronatha

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:
1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 onion
30 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 pound penne pasta
1 pound grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Place chicken in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Stud whole peeled onion with cloves and pierce with cinnamon stick. Place in pot with chicken. Stir in tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and stew 60 to 90 minutes, until chicken is tender. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Layer pasta with Parmesan in a large serving bowl. Remove onion and pour chicken stock over pasta. Serve chicken pieces on the side.

Rolling Thunder

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. apricot brandy
1 1/2 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. vodka
1/4 oz. grenadine
1/4 oz. lime juice

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a
cocktail glass.

Ghraybeh Cookies

This rich Mediterranean butter cookie is named after the Arabic word
for ‘swoon’, ghraybeh. The key ingredient for these exotic treats is the
semolina.
Yield: 24 Servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
1 cup clarified butter
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 teaspoon orange flower water
30 blanched almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and semolina and set aside. Beat the butter for at least 10 minutes until it is fluffy. Then beat 2 more minutes while sprinkling in the blossom water and confectioners’ sugar. Fold in the flour mixture gradually. Then refrigerate the soft dough in covered bowl for about 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll or pat the dough out to 1/4 inch
thickness, and cut into 1 inch sided diamonds and place them 1/2 inch
apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Then place an almond in the center
of each cookie. Back 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not over bake. Let the cookies cool for at least an hour. The are best served after they have cooled for several hours.

Galaktoboureko

Galaktoboureko is a traditional Greek dessert made with a custard in a crispy phyllo pastry shell.
Yield: 15 Servings

Ingredients:
6 cups whole milk
1 cup semolina flour
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, melted
12 sheets phyllo dough
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar

Directions:
Pour milk into a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the semolina, cornstarch, 1 cup sugar and salt so there are no cornstarch clumps. When milk comes to a boil, gradually add the semolina mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil. Remove from heat, and set aside. Keep warm. In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer at high speed. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, and whip until thick and pale, about 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Fold the whipped eggs into the hot semolina mixture. Partially cover the pan, and set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish, and layer 7 sheets of phyllo into the pan, brushing each one with butter as you lay it in. Pour the custard into the pan over the phyllo, and cover with the remaining 5 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter as you lay it down. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top crust is crisp and the custard filling has set. In a small saucepan, stir together the remaining cup of sugar and water. Bring to a boil. When the Galaktoboureko comes out of the oven, spoon the hot sugar syrup over the top, particularly the edges. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Cinnamon and Molasses Cookies

These cookies are slightly moiset, spicy and nutty.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. black molasses
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground almonds, or hazelnuts
1 egg yolk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:
Lightly grease a baking sheet. Heat the molasses and butter or margarine gently until just beginning to melt. Sift the flour into a large bowl with the baking soda and spices, then stir in the sugar and almonds or hazelnuts. Beat the molasses mixture and egg yolk briskly into the bowl, drawing the ingredients together to form a firm, but soft dough. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick and stamp out shapes, such as stars, hearts, or circles. Re-roll the trimmings and cut more shapes. Place on the prepared baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prick the cookies lightly with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes, until just firm. Transfer to wire racks to become crisp. Mix the confectioners’ sugar with a little lukewarm water to make it slightly runny, then drizzle it over the cookies on the wire racks.
Yield: 24 cookies

Publishing a book on fr. How novel. Your work or someone elses?

got long posts?

Basic Herb Candy Recipe

Resident Expert Linda Parker submits this recipe just in time for the cold and flu season. She used horehound to make the herbal tea (which she grows in the back garden) which serves wonderfully as a cough drop. Linda warns that this recipe makes a LOT - you may want to halve or even quarter the recipe.

Ingredients:

3 cups strong herb tea
3 ½ pounds sugar (about 8 cups)

(I use brown sugar for the horehound drops, but white sugar would probably be better for a more delicate-tasting tea.)

Method:

Mix sugar and tea in large saucepan (use one a lot bigger than you think you’ll need - the mixture foams up and could easily overflow).

Boil until mixture reaches 292 degrees (be sure to make adjustments for altitude**.)

Pour into large, shallow buttered pan and let cool. Cut into pieces before it hardens all the way. You could also pull it like taffy, if you want a softer, chewier candy.

**Altitude adjustment**

Using a candy thermometer, see what temperature water boils at your altitude.

At sea level water boils at 212 degrees. At my altitude, water boils at about 188 degrees. So I have to subtract 188 from 212 (boiling point at sea level, which is what almost all recipes use), the result is 24 degrees. Therefore as long as I live here I always need to subtract 24 from the temperature in most recipes, (which in this case is 268 degrees - 292 minus 24).

WEEKEND RECIPES: LEFTOVERS

I bought a whole smoked ham yesterday. Usually I buy
a half of a bone-in ham and there is enough for our
first meal, soup or beans, and omelets or scrambled
eggs one morning. This was such a good deal that I
couldn’t pass it up. I was looking up recipes I have using
ham and thought I would share.

Ham and Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
11/4 pounds red potatoes, cubed
2 cups diced leftover ham
1 cup frozen peas
1 can condensed cheese or creamed potato soup
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 tablespoon mustard

Cook potatoes in boiling water; drain. In a greased 21/2-quart
baking dish, combine potatoes, ham and peas. Combine the
other ingredients and stir in. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees
for 25 minutes. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

Ham Tetrazzini

Ingredients:
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
olive oil
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
Milk (one and 1/2 soup cans)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups cooked, diced ham
Parmesan cheese

In a medium skillet drizzle a small amount of olive oil to sauté
the mushrooms until they are softened. In a bowl, whisk the
soup and milk til creamy, then add the spices, mixing completely.
Stir in the ham, mushrooms and the spaghetti. Pour the mixture
into a sprayed or oiled casserole and top with the Parmesan
cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly, about 25 degrees.
Serves 6. Note: This is pretty tame because my family doesn’t
like a lot of “extras”. However you can add sliced olives or green
pepper that you dice and sauté with the mushrooms.

Ham and Ranch Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups elbow macaroni or small shells
1 cup ranch dressing-low fat or regular
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cup diced ham
2 green onions, chopped
1 green pepper, diced

Cook pasta al dente according to instructions, drain and
rinse in cold water. In a large bowl mix the dressing and
milk. Then add all the other ingredients, including the ham
and the pasta. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Chill before
serving.

Zesty Ham Salad

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
2 1/4 teaspoons prepared mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
3/4 pound fully cooked ham
1 9-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
2 medium oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 1/2 cups leaf lettuce, torn
1/3 cup thinly sliced red pepper

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, milk, mustard and
chopped chives for the dressing. Cover and refrigerate at
least 30 minutes. Cut ham into julienne strips; set aside.
In a large bowl combine the ham, peas, orange sections,
lettuce and thinly sliced red pepper. To serve, spoon the
dressing over the salad and toss lightly.

Pasta with Ham and Peas

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. bow tie pasta
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbls. flour
1 cup milk
1 tbls. butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 oz. nonfat or light cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 lb. ham, cut in slivers

Bring a large pot of water to boiling for pasta. Add pasta
and cook 12 min. or until firm, but tender. Add peas for last
3 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
after draining pasta. Meanwhile, shake together flour and milk
in jar with tight fitting lid or whisk in a bowl until blended. Heat
butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1
minutes. Whisk in milk mixture. Simmer 3 minutes. Whisk
in cream cheese, 2 tbls. parmesan, salt and pepper. Simmer,
while whisking for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Toss together pasta, sauce and ham in a large bowl. Add 1/4
to 1/2 c. reserved pasta water, tossing to make creamy sauce.
Top with remaining parmesan. Serve hot.

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 to 8 slices of ham
8 to 10 medium. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup grated Cheddar or American cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Place half of the ham, potatoes and onions in the slow cooker.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grated cheese. Repeat with
remaining half. Spoon undiluted soup over top. Cover and cook
on low 8 to 10 hours in crockpot or high for four hours.

MORE: Try one of these recipes for ham bone soups:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/beansoups.html

It is the world’s work.

Not meant as a book, I am mainly interested in using what is available....

Which covers it all.

You are welcome here, hope you find something of use to you.